Fan scroll assembly for the indoor unit of an air conditioner

ABSTRACT

A scroll housing ( 40 ) is provided for enclosing a centrifugal fan of an air distribution unit. The housing ( 40 ) is of the type configured for mounting to a panel ( 22 ) dividing the air distribution unit into inlet and outlet regions. The scroll housing ( 40 ) is formed from two sections ( 50, 52 ). A rear section ( 50 ) includes a curved wall ( 56 ) having a first edge ( 58 ) at one end thereof, which defines one side of the rectangular opening ( 39 ), and a second edge ( 60 ) at the other end of the wall ( 56 ). A front section ( 52 ) of the scroll housing also includes a curved wall ( 96 ) having a first edge ( 98 ) at one end thereof, which defines the fourth side of the rectangular opening ( 39 ) and a second edge ( 100 ) of the other end thereof. The second edge ( 60 ) of the curved wall ( 56 ) of the back section ( 50 ) is provided with a first hinge element ( 70 ) thereon. The second edge ( 100 ) of the curved wall ( 96 ) of the front section ( 52 ) is provided with a second hinge element ( 110 ) thereon. The side walls ( 62, 64 ) of the back section ( 50 ) have latching conformations ( 88 ) formed thereon at a location underlying the first edge thereof and above the semi-circular opening therein. The side walls ( 102 ) of the front section ( 52 ) have a latching conformation formed thereon in the first edge, which are adapted to positively engage the latching conformations on the back section ( 50 ) when the sections are pivoted toward one another about the hinge engagement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention generally relates to air distribution units of the typecommonly used in air conditioning, heating or ventilation systems and,more particularly, to a two-piece scroll assembly for the indoor fan ofsuch a unit.

BACKGROUND ART

In many commercial air conditioning, heating and ventilating systems,treated air is discharged into an area to be conditioned through an airdistribution or conditioning unit. For example, one general type of airconditioning system, often referred to as a split system, includesseparate indoor and outdoor units. The outdoor unit includes acompressor, a heat exchanger and a fan. The indoor unit includes a heatexchanger and a fan. In operation, the indoor fan draws air into theindoor unit, through an inlet thereof, and forces the air over theindoor heat exchanger and then out of the indoor unit, through an outletopening therein.

The outdoor fan draws air into the outdoor unit, through an inlet,forces that air over the outdoor heat exchanger and then forces that airout of the outdoor unit through an outlet therein. At the same time, acompressor causes a refrigeration fluid to circulate through and betweenthe indoor/outdoor heat exchangers. At the indoor heat exchanger, therefrigerant absorbs heat from the air passing over that heat exchanger,cooling that air. At the same time, at the outdoor heat exchanger, theair passing over the heat exchanger absorbs heat from the refrigerantpassing therethrough.

Split type air conditioning units of this type are typicallymanufactured in a wide range of cooling capacities. Accordingly, thesize of the indoor unit can range from a small compact relatively narrowunit up to a wide unit, of substantially the same height as the compactunit. Typically the larger units will include a plurality of aircirculating fans.

Typically, the larger the unit the more components are required and themore fasteners are required in order to assembly all of the components.It is considered extremely desirable to minimize the number ofcomponents required in order to fabricate the indoor units of such anair conditioning system. One component of such indoor units whichtypically comprises many components and fastening means is the fanscroll structure for housing the indoor unit fans and directing the airthrough the unit as described above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A scroll housing is provided for enclosing a centrifugal fan of an airdistribution unit. The housing is of the type configured for mounting toa panel dividing the air distribution unit into inlet and outletregions. The panel has a rectangular air flow opening formed therein.The scroll housing generally defines an irregular cylinder having endwalls with circular inlet openings therein and a rectangular openingconfigured to be in air flow communication with the rectangular openingin the panel. The scroll housing is formed from two sections. A rearsection includes a curved wall having a first edge at one end thereof,which defines one side of the rectangular opening, and a second edge atthe other end of the wall. The first and second edges are substantiallyparallel to one another. The back section further includes planar endwalls on opposite sides, each of which has a first edge which intersectswith and is substantially perpendicular to the first edge of the curvedwall to thereby define lateral sides of the rectangular opening. Asecond edge of the side wall intersects with the second edge of thecurved wall. The planar end wall further includes a semi-circularopening forming half of the circular inlet opening. A front section ofthe scroll housing also includes a curved wall having a first edge atone end thereof, which defines the fourth side of the rectangularopening and a second edge of the other end thereof. The front sectionfurther includes planar end walls on opposite sides of the curved wall.Each of the end walls has a first edge perpendicularly intersecting withthe first edge of the curved wall, and a second edge which intersectswith and is substantially perpendicular to the second edge of the curvedwall. Each end wall includes a semi-circular opening forming half of thecircular inlet opening. The second edge of the curved wall of the backsection is provided with a first hinge element thereon. The second edgeof the curved wall of the front section is provided with a second hingeelement thereon. The first and second hinge elements are configured toengage one another to interconnect the second edges of the front andback sections and allow pivotal movement of the said sections withrespect to one another. The side walls of the back section have latchingconformations formed thereon at a location underlying the first edgethereof and above the semi-circular opening therein. The side walls ofthe front section have a latching conformation formed thereon in thefirst edge, which are adapted to positively engage the latchingconformations on the back section when the sections are pivoted towardone another about the hinge engagement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood and its objects and advantageswill become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the indoor unit of an air conditionerwhich embodies the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioning unit of FIG. 1,with the left-hand side cover, and one of the modular front panelsections removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the two-piece fan scroll asviewed from the bottom thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the two piece fan scroll asviewed from the top thereof;

FIG. 5 illustrates a partially assembled sub-assembly of the fan panel,fans and fan scrolls of the unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with one scroll fully assembled;

FIG. 7 is a fully assembled view of the sub-assembly of the fan panel,fans and fan scrolls of the unit of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view of the air conditioning unit ofFIG. 1.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Looking first at FIGS. 1 and 8, the indoor unit 10 of a split system airconditioning system of the type incorporating a structural frameworkaccording to the present invention is illustrated. Briefly, the unit 10includes a main structural support frame 12, which includes a bottompanel 14, a back panel 16 and a top section 18. Attached to the sides ofthe back and top panels are structural internal side covers 20. The sidecovers 20 and the back panel 16 cooperate to support a horizontallyextending fan support panel 22, which includes a pair of rectangularopenings 24 formed therein. Mounted above the fan support panel 22 on apair of inclined surfaces 26, defined by the internal side covers 20 isa heat exchanger coil 25.

Mounted under the top section of the main support frame 12 is an uppercondensate collection pan 28. Mounted in the front of the unit, underthe bottom of the heat exchanger 25, and supported by the front edge 30of the fan support panel 22, is a lower condensate collection pan 32. Afront section of the lower condensate collection pan extends upwardlyand is spaced from the heat exchanger coil 25.

Mounted to the lower surface of the fan support panel 22 is a fanassembly 34, which includes an electric motor 36 adapted to drive a pairof centrifugal fans 38, which are each enclosed in a two-piece scrollhousing 40. Each of scroll housings 40 defines a rectangular upper airoutlet opening 39, which is in air flow communication with therectangular openings 24 in the fan support panel 22.

As a result of the above-described arrangement of components, when thefan assembly is energized, air is drawn into the region 41 underlyingthe fan support panel 22 through the open front and is directed upwardlythrough the rectangular openings 24, through the heat exchanger coil 25and is discharged through an opening 42 defined by the upper edge 44 ofthe lower condensate pan 32 and the front edge 46 of the uppercondensate pan 28.

During assembly of the air conditioning unit 10, the main structuralframework of the unit comprising the structural frame 12 and theinternal side covers 20 are first assembled to one another. Followingthis, a sub-assembly 48, which includes the fan support panel 22 withthe fan and motor assembly 34 attached thereto, as well as the two-piecescroll 40 is then assembled to the unit.

Before describing the scroll housing 40 in detail, the sequence ofattachment of the components to the fan panel 22 to form thesub-assembly 48 will briefly be described. First, the two pieces of thescroll housing 40 will be referred to as the “back section 50” and the“front section 52”. The back section 50 is first attached to the fanpanel, as illustrated on the left-hand side of FIG. 5. Following this,an assembly which includes the motor 36 and the fans 38 is attached tothe lower side of the fan support panel 22 by a bracket 54. The bracketis attached at a location between the two rectangular openings 24 tothereby support the fans 38 within the back sections 50 of the scrolland underlying the rectangular openings 24. Following this, the frontsections 52 of the scrolls are attached to the back sections 50 tocomplete the sub-assembly 48.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the details of the back and front sections 50and 52 of the scroll housing in detail. The back section 50 comprises acurved back wall 56, which extends from an upper back edge 58 downwardlyand forwardly to a lower front edge 60. Integrally formed with the leftand right-hand sides of the back wall 56 are left and right side walls62 and 64, respectively. Each of the side walls 62 and 64 has an upperedge 66 and 68, respectively, which are perpendicular to and lie in thesame plane as the upper back edge 58 of the back wall and together formthree sides of the previously referenced air discharge opening 39.

Formed in the lower front edge 60 of the wall 56 are three horizontallyextending hinge pins 70. The hinge pins extend along the same axis andare supported in spaced relationship forwardly of the edge 60 byperpendicularly extending structural support sections 72. Each of theside walls 62 and 64 is provided with a semi-circular opening 74 thereinwhich, as will seen, cooperates with a similar opening in the frontsection 52 to define the inlet openings to the fans 38.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be noted that theupper section 76 of the back wall 56, which is adjacent the upper backedge, is separated from the planar end walls at the left and right-handends thereof by vertically extending slots 78. Also, extendingrearwardly from the upper back edge 58 is a horizontally extendingflange 80. The vertical slots 78 are of sufficient length so that theupper section 76 of the wall, which carries the flange 80, may be flexedforwardly when an appropriate force is applied thereto.

Extending laterally outwardly from the upper edges 66 and 68 of the leftand right-side walls 62 and 64 are a pair of outwardly extending flanges82. As is best seen in FIG. 4, these flanges are located at an elevationwith respect to the elevation of the flange 80, which is lower than theflange 80 by a distance which is equal to the thickness of the fansupport panel 22. Each of the flanges 82 defines an upwardly facingsurface 84 and is provided with an L-shaped latch 86 formed thereon atthe end opposite the upper back edge 58. The L-shaped latches 86 faceforwardly, i.e. in a direction opposite from that of the flange 80formed on the wall 58 and the L-shaped latches extend above the flangeon which they are formed by the thickness of the fan support panel 22.

Each of the left and right side walls 62 and 64 is provided with aflexible latch element 88 formed at the upper end thereof underlying theflanges 82 and overlying the upper end of the semi-circular opening 74.Each of the flexible latches extends forwardly and has a fixed end 90molded into the side wall, a flexible latch section 92 and latching head94 at the free end thereof.

The front section 52 of the scroll housing includes a curved wall 96,which has an upper back edge 98 and a lower back edge 100. The curvedwall 96 further includes planar end walls 102 on opposite sides thereof.Each of the end walls 102 has a first edge 104 which intersects with andis perpendicular to the upper back edge 98 of the curved wall and asecond edge 106, which intersects with and is perpendicular to the lowerback edge 100 of the curved wall. Each of the end walls 102 is providedwith a semi-circular opening 108 therein which, as previously described,cooperates with the semi-circular opening 74 in the back section 50 whenthe scroll 40 is assembled to define the air inlet openings. As bestseen in FIG. 3, the lower back edge 100 is provided with threeintegrally formed hooks 110, which are configured to engage the threehinge pins 70 carried by the back section 50 in a manner which will bedescribed.

Located in the edges 104 underlying the upper back edge 98 aresubstantially rectangular horizontally extending openings 112, which areadapted to receive the latch heads 94 and a portion of the flexiblesection 92 of the flexible latches 88 carried by the back section 50.The latch openings 112 are configured to allow the latch heads 94 toengage structure 114 surrounding the opening and to be flexed to adeformed position to allow the enlarged heads 94 to pass therethrough.Once the latch heads 94 pass through the openings 112, the latches areallowed to return to their undeformed position with the latch heads 94engaging structure 116 on the exit side of the openings to positivelyretain the back and front sections 50 and 52 to one another.

Looking back now at the previously described assembly sequence, the backsection 50 of the scroll 40 is assembled to the fan panel 22 byextending the flange 80 carried at the upper back edge 58 into theopening 24 in the fan panel and engaging it with the rear edge of theopening. Following such engagement, sufficient force is imparted uponthe back section 50 to cause the upper section 76 of the back wall 56 toflex thereby allowing the entire back section 50 to move rearwardly asufficient amount to allow the latch sections 86 carried on the topsurface 84 of the side wall flanges 82 to pass through mating openings118 provided in the fan panel 22. Once the latch elements 86 have passedthrough the openings 118, the top surface 84 of the flanges 82 will bein confronting relation with the bottom of the fan panel 22 and theforce causing deformation of the back wall is released and the latches86 will be displaced forwardly to engage the upper surface of the fanpanel 22 thereby cooperating with the flange 80 to thereby attach theback section 50 of the scroll 40 the fan panel 22.

Following such assembly, the motor and fan assembly is attached to thefan panel by way of the bracket 54, as described above.

Completion of sub-assembly 48 is then carried out by engaging the hooks110 carried by the front scroll sections 52 with the mating hinge pins70 in the back section 50, as illustrated in the right-hand side of FIG.5. Following such engagement, the upper part of the front section 52 isrotated rearwardly about the hinged engagement between the pins 70 andthe hooks 110 to thereby cause the flexible latches 88 of the backsections 50 to be received in the mating latching openings 112 in thefront sections 52 in the manner described above.

As thus assembled, the two-piece scroll housing has been assembled tothe fan panel and the front and rear sections 50 and 52 assembled to oneanother without the necessity for any separate fastening elements andwithout incurring the labor involved in manipulating such fasteningelements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scroll housing for enclosing a centrifugal fanof an air distribution unit, said housing being of the type configuredfor mounting to a panel dividing the air distribution unit into an inletand outlet region, the panel having a rectangular opening therein, saidscroll housing defining an irregular cylinder having end walls withcircular inlet openings therein and a rectangular opening configured tobe in air flow communication with said rectangular opening in saidpanel, wherein the improvement comprises: said scroll housing beingformed from two sections; said first section including a curved wallhaving a first edge at one end thereof defining a side of saidrectangular opening, and a second edge at the other end thereof, saidfirst and second edges being substantially parallel to one another; saidfirst section further including planar end walls on opposite sides ofsaid curved wall, each of said end walls having a first edgeintersecting with and substantially perpendicular to said first edge ofsaid curved wall to thereby define lateral sides of said rectangularopening, and a second edge intersecting with said second edge of saidcurved wall; and a semi-circular opening forming half of said circularinlet opening; said second section including a curved wall having afirst edge, at one end thereof, defining the fourth side of saidrectangular opening and a second edge at the other end thereof; saidsecond section further including planar end walls on opposite sides ofsaid curved wall, each of said end walls having a first edgeintersecting with and perpendicular to said first edge of said curvedwall, and a second edge intersecting with and substantiallyperpendicular to said second edge of said curved wall; and asemi-circular opening forming half of said circular inlet opening; saidsecond edge of said curved wall of said first section having a firsthinge element formed thereon; said second edge of said curved wall ofsaid second section having a second hinge element formed thereon, saidfirst and second hinge elements being configured to be engaged with oneanother to interconnect said second edges of said first and secondsections and allow pivotal movement of said first and second sectionswith said sections moving toward one another; said side walls of saidfirst section having a latching conformation formed thereon at alocation underlying said first edge thereof and above said semi-circularopening therein; said side walls of said second section having alatching conformation formed thereon in said first edge thereof whichare adapted to positively engage said latching conformations on saidfirst section when said sections are pivoted toward one another aboutsaid hinged engagement.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one endof said curved wall of said first section includes a section thereofwhich is not connected to said planar end walls and wherein said sectionis configured so that it may flex with respect to said curved wall; andwherein said first edge of said flexible section comprises alongitudinally extending rearwardly facing flange; and wherein each ofsaid planar end walls further include an outwardly extending,substantially perpendicular flange adjacent to and underlying saidflange formed on said first edge by a predetermined dimension; each ofsaid flanges of said planar wall sections having an L-shaped latchformed thereon at the end opposite said first edge of said curved wall,said latch is facing in a direction opposite that of said flange formedon said first edge of said curved wall and extending above said flangeson which they are formed by said predetermined distance; and whereinsaid predetermined distance is substantially equal to the thickness ofsaid air distribution unit panel, and wherein each of said rectangularopenings in said panel comprises a first edge substantially equal inlength to said first edge of said curved wall of said first section andincludes lateral sides extending perpendicular thereto, said panelincluding openings therein adjacent each of said lateral sides which arespaced from the first side of said opening by a distance equal to thedistance from said one end of said curved wall to the location of saidlatch elements; whereby said first section may be assembled to saidpanel by engaging said flange on said first edge of said curved wallwith said first side of said opening in said panel and imparting a forceon said first section to flex said free wall portion of said curved wallto thereby cause said latching elements to move into engagement withsaid openings in said panel to thereby positively attach said firstsection to said panel when the installation force is removed therefrom.3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said latching conformation of saidside wall of said first section and said latching conformation of saidside walls of said second section are all configured to lie under thepanel to which the scroll is attached whereby said second section ofsaid scroll housing may be attached to said first section followinginstallation of said first section to said panel.